Learning Curve

So After getting of the boat I head up the green route that takes you along the river Hudson, I've been told to get off at 110th street, but I think I took a wrong turn at some point or something so I've now got no idea how far up I am. The green route on a saturday is a bit of a nightmare as it's choca-block with cyclists and roller bladers and pedestrians all going super slow, I mean about 8mph it's pretty but a bit dull as you can't really get any speed up.  Anyway, so I come off the green route and head towards Central Park, I hit 92nd and get my bearings then head up 8th avenue towards 114th, all these numbers are pretty weird to hear as a Londoner but you find yourself using them straight away as the grid system is so easy,  so I'm pumped with adrenaline with the excitement of being in New York and riding on the real roads, I'm stopped at a set of lights and they changed to green, then I look ahead and every single set of lights is changing to green, and for me it's like a red rag to a bull; I leap away from the first set of lights and start to cane it down towards the next set, I looked across at the car next to me and guess I'm going around twenty-five miles an hour, I hit one green then another then another, and I'm really enjoying myself.  Then I see that a car in front of me is turning right, my cycle lane is on the right of the cars but my mind is still in the UK so I don't figure out what is happening until late, so I hit the front brake and pull the rear wheel to a stop, but by this this point I'm pretty much endoing, with the back wheel in the air.  The car turns and I think "Phew! that was close and then the taxi behind the first turning car also turns and I'm back on the brake this time pulling a proper endo, he turns off and I release the brake and live to tell the tale.  Word of warning to new comers to New York, American cars' rear indicators are the rear lights which flash, there is no orange/yellow rear indicator, it really throws you as you are tuned to orange. 

I got to my friends appartment below you can see the views from her roof terrace:

Well lesson learned, don't go too fast on the streets of New York as you're likely to get mashed by an oblivious car, they really don't look for cyclists when they turn so you have to do it for them.

Safe and sound

So, I arrived last night at about eleven, and was happy to find that the nun had got here safely. I haven't put her back together yet so I'm looking forward to that and to finding out if she likes the American roads.

I was picked up by my wonderful family friends Jackie and Motz, they are a fantastic couple who live in Rutherford, New Jersey.  Once we got back to theirs, they had a roast beef sandwich ready for me with a cold beer, deeeelicious and much wanted!

In the morning I put the nun back together and found a couple of problems so it was off to the LBS to get her fixed up, the guys at The Bike Path in Rutherford NJ http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-bike-path-rutherford pumped my tyres back up and also adjusted the cones on my back wheel all for free which was very kind, and I paid 10 pounds for the same service in London, which evidently they didn't even do properly.  I took her for a quick spin up and down the main strip in Rutherford and got my bearings for cycling on the otherside of the road.  :-)

Before all this Motz took me out for a cream cheese bagel and a cwoffee at a local cafe, the cream cheese was great really smooth and fluffy and the bagel was good too.  But it was the great conversation that really made it special, Motz is an Italian American who can talk the hind legs off a horse, but only the ones he's not backing down the track on a Saturday ;-)

The View From Jackie And Motz's appartment

After some lunch from a local deli where the guys behind the counter seems to have turned his neck into presciuto and sold it on as now he just has a head attached to shoulders, Motz and Jackie Dropped me off at the ferry terminal to go into New York proper!

The Nun on water

New York coming into view

Bought My Yankees Tickets

I've now bought my tickets for the Yankees!  On some very good local advise have gone for the bleachers! The rowdiest seats in the stadium apparently, which sounds like the kinda place i need to be!

As I'm still in the UK and thinking about bikes all the time, I'd like to give a little plug to one of my friends who works at http://www.bikerepublic.com/ lovely bikes lovely people.

While I'm at the plugging, would also like to give a mention to www.rapha.cc where I get all my cycle clothing as they are the bomb.

Sorting out my schedule!

So I'm beginning to work out what I'm going to do and on which days, I've decided that while I'm in NYC I have to go to see the New York Yankees, I've had a look on the ticketing website and think I've found a good place in the stadium to watch the game, the ticket is going to set me back about fifty bucks which I think is not too bad as it's about the same as seeing a premier league football game in the cheap seats here.  The game is the Milwaukee Brewers vs the Yankees I'm not sure if Milwaukee are any good but I'm hoping that the atmosphere and the hotdogs will make it a proper experience!  Now I just have to figure out my cycle route to get there and I'm set!

Preparation

Well, it's only 5 days until I fly so it's time that I sorted out all the little niggles of the bike, like how the headset is locking in the forward position and the brakes feel like they are made of sponge.

]---[ here's my trusty spanner and I've loosened the headset a little, there we are turning smoothly once again! Now which brake pads to get....

Next, I need to dismantle my flight deck as i've got light brackets on there from lights long since stolen, and do I really need a speed-o? probably not so that'll come off too.  She could probably do with a clean as well but I don't want her to look too nice in case someone decides that she's worth stealing.

My bike bag arrived yesterday! I had it delivered to work as when the bell rings on Friday I'm going directly to New York. It's this one: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380339532629&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:GB:1123#ht_2147wt_1195 this was the cheapest good one I could find! Pockets for the wheels, padded, without getting a proper hard cased one this is as much protection as you're gonna get really.

I've also borrowed a camera off my mum to take with as I don't have a good one as I've just been using my phone for the last few years.

Ok, right now I need to start doing some serious clothes washing, as I haven't done any for about three weeks and I can't turn up in NYC smelling like a cycling shoe.  Catch you later.

Countdown

It's 8 days until I leave London to go to New York with the fixed gear Peugeot I built myself in tow.

I've been riding fixed in London for about a year clocking up thousands of miles through the seasons and over the potholed roads of London on "The Nun" as I call my bike.

I figured that as I was going to the other city that competes to be the centre of the world, I should do it like a local.

Virgin Atlantic, very kindly, give free space for taking bikes on their planes so I'm taking advantage of that.

I'm hitting rebel bingo in Park Slope, http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=216738821677247 on Saturday the 25th of June and the rest of the time I'm there has yet to be allocated, suggestions welcome!